How does a freelance writer keep up with everything happening in the industry when he has a full time job, a family, reviews to keep up with and a puppy in training? It’s worth pointing out that a lot has happened in the month of September this year. AMD has been making announcements about Zen, INTEL has had some details about Kaby Lake and NVIDIA is talking about the GTX 1050. Rather than try to keep up with every piece of news as it releases, we’re going to try something new by having a once a month update to catch you up on the things that are happening in the industry. Welcome to the PureOC Monthly News! On the last Friday of each month, we’ll pull together all the news that feels relevant and give a one stop location to get your info from. So without further ado, let’s get into what’s happened this month. CPUs, Motherboards and Chipsets AMD Zen, Grey Hawk, X370 Chipset and A12-9800 We’ll start with AMD this time around since much of the anticipation of what will happen in the CPU sector relies on them. We got some more detailed shots of the new Zen chip and the 1331 pin design is confirmed. As far as new info is concerned though, we didn’t get much this month for that. The A12-9800 on the other hand had some very interesting leaks. Some performance scores showed up and even though the new AM4 chip is still using Steamroller cores, it has some reasonable improvements. What was really interesting was an overclocking result. So...

As the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” NZXT takes that saying to heart in what seems to be the best ways. Take VR for example. There are some features that can really help a case cater to that market, but that doesn’t mean a company has to completely redesign the wheel. The S340 Elite fits perfectly into this category, but that didn’t stop NZXT from adding extra improvements as well. For starters, the Elite adds a gorgeous tempered glass window for the side panel. Glass can pick up finger prints, but it’s really easy to clean with some window cleaner. It adds a classy touch to what is considered a workhorse of a case to begin with. There’s a magnetic puck to hold headsets and NZXT also improved the cable management system inside. Reviews will give us a better idea how well that works, but I have a feeling that it’s going to be a very welcomed improvement. On top of all of that, NZXT is giving us a new internal USB hub so you can be sure to have room for expansion. Check out the full press releases below for the rest of the details and check out the new VR ready case for yourself. S340 Elite When awesome gets even better: meet the S340 Elite Full-tempered glass side panel and virtual reality connectivity takes NZXT’s award-winning mid-tower to elite status. Los Angeles, CA – September 27, 2016 – NZXT today announces the S340 Elite, the most refined and elegant S340, that expands upon the mid-tow...

Introduction ViewSonic is a company that is about customer focus and quality. If you’re curious about the three birds; They are Gouldian Finch Rainbow birds. These birds represent eye-catching colors and are a visual beauty. When James Chu founded ViewSonic he used these birds for the companies logo to symbolize beauty, color, and quality. ViewSonic has some very appealing monitors today and they have come a long way from when they started in 1990. There is nothing better than feeding a high-end GPU a high-end monitor. If you have a relatively new graphics card, you’re going to want a high-end monitor. With features like high refresh rates, better color quality, and stunning resolutions, the difference can be seen and felt. ViewSonic was primarily selling FreeSync monitors, which are for AMD cards. FreeSync was developed to compete with Nvidia’s Gsync technology. These technologies were developed to combat against screen tearing and the input lag that comes from Vsync. Today I will be looking at ViewSonic’s XG2703-GS, which is the companies first Gsync monitor. Let’s see what this monitor has to offer as far as features and if the technology it offers is worth your investment.

I think I can categorize wireless routers into two categories. Category A is cheap, limited hardware, but with an intuitive user interface. Category B is expensive, great hardware, but more settings than the average user wants to muddle through. While I’m not saying that good middle-of-road options don’t exist, I haven’t seen one that excites me nearly as much as what I just found. I’m not entirely certain when the DIR-869 AC1750 EXO released, but it feels like it just popped up out of nowhere. D-LINK may have offered us the best balance of performance to cost with this one. It turns out that both the DIR-879 and 869 were unveiled at CES earlier this year. While the 879 released in the first quarter, the 869 wasn’t supposed to release until the second one. I’m only bringing it up now because while scouring Newegg for the host of reasons I have to scour Newegg, a banner scrolled this by and I had to find out what was going on. It was the $119.99 price that really caught my eye. Considering this unit has AC wireless, a dual core processor, beam forming and intelligent QoS, the price seems like an excellent deal. The other nice thing about this router is the user interface. I recently purchased a D-LINK DIR-842 in an attempt to not only smooth some online gaming experiences out, but try yet again to get some better wireless coverage in my house. It was the first router that met and even exceeded my expectations. The new user interface is gr...

If there’s one thing we should all know by now, always expect SAMSUNG to outdo themselves. Their 950 Pro NVMe SSDs were already blistering fast, but apparently that wasn’t enough for them. Today, SAMSUNG announced the latest in the SSD lineup, the 960 Pro and the 960 Evo. If being faster isn’t enough, the price on the EVO is looking pretty enticing as well. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw sequential read and write speeds of 3,500 MB/s and 2,100 MB/s respectively. Of course, we’ve come to expect that on the Pro series. I shouldn’t be that surprised, but the Evo line comes in at 3,200 MB/s and 1,900 MB/s! This has been a trend for the Evos for a while, but I’m still slightly shocked how close that performance is to the Pros. The 960 Pro will be available in up to a 2 TB capacity while the 960 Evo will only reach a 1 TB capacity for the time being. What really caught my eye was that starting cost for the Evo. The recommended retail is $130 which is really good for an NVMe M.2 drive. No doubt that will be for the 250 GB option, but if that trend holds pretty closely for the 500 GB drive, we might see a price around $250. That’s really affordable considering the Evo is faster than most M.2 drives on the market right now by a good margin. Needless to say I’m excited about this release. If you want the full details, check out the rest of the press release below. Samsung Electronics Accelerates the NVMe Era for Consumers wit...

Introduction We’re bringing STEELSERIES back to the forefront again, but this time we have a headset to review instead of a mouse and keyboard combo. Even though this company is new to PureOC, they impressed us with some excellent quality and exceptional software. However, sound is a completely different playing field compared to input peripherals. The Siberia 350 has a lot of competition to stand up against so we better take a long hard look at how it does in person. We’ll get right into it soon, after a quick word from the manufacturer. WE ARE GAMING SteelSeries has fueled the gaming industry by creating innovative new products, designed specifically for eSports and passionate gamers everywhere. RELENTLESS INNOVATION Here at SteelSeries, we are obsessed with “firsts”. Dating back to 2001, our company was formed to meet the surface needs of hardcore gamers by introducing the first glass mousepad, the Icemat. Since that original innovation, we created the first mechanical gaming keyboard, the first suspended headband for gaming headsets, the first World of Warcraft mouse and endless other innovations. SteelSeries is dedicated to building products that push professional gaming further than anyone dreamed. Those innovations make gaming more competitive and more fun for gamers everywhere. INSPIRING DESIGN Our fans, customers and professional eSports teams demand the ultimate performance from SteelSeries. We combine the necessity of professional-grade quality ...

Introduction Alright, everyone! I think I’m getting over the fact that there’s a massive surge of unstoppable gaming mice that are overrunning the planet right now. My anxiety levels are calming down a bit. In that light, I proudly bring to you yet another mouse review. At least this time, we have a different manufacturer from my previous reviews so we can see how well they play their hand at entering one of the most crowded markets in the existence of PC hardware. NIXEUS may not be a name you’ve heard of, but they seem to be on the right track with many of their releases. We’ll see if the Revel Gaming Mouse meets expectations, but let’s tune into a brief statement about the company first. Established 2009 in Los Angeles, California – Nixeus Technology is an American company, brand and manufacturer specializing in computer monitors, peripherals and consumer electronics. Our products are trusted and used by Fortune 500 companies, Financial Institutions, Universities, NASA, and various government agencies. Founded by executives with extensive knowledge and experience in the consumer electronics and PC gaming industry – we are committed to producing premium quality products to create an immersive experience for entertainment, business and productive applications. If you’d like a further break down, follow the link here to see more about NIXEUS.

Introduction LOGITECH has been designing peripherals to help others enjoy a better experience since 1981. They started with the mouse and reinvented it several times over the years. They have since expanded into other devices like webcams. I will be looking at the C920 webcam from Logitech, which is labeled as one of the first webcams to support 1080p for video calling. Webcams can also be an important part of your gaming setup; even as much as a game controller nowadays. Live streaming has become extremely popular making a webcam a welcomed device for more than video chatting. Let’s see if this webcam can handle streaming video, audio, and the quality it claims. System Requirements Compatible with: Windows® 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 or later Works in USB Video Device Class (UVC) mode: Mac OS 10.6 or later (HD 720p on FaceTime for Mac or other supported video-calling clients; Full HD 1080p video recording with QuickTime Player) Chrome OS™ Android v 5.0 or above (with supported video-calling clients) USB port Internet connection Warranty Information 2-Year Limited Hardware Warranty Package Contents Webcam with 6-foot cable User documentation Technical Specifications – Full HD 1080p video calling (up to 1920 x 1080 pixels) with the latest version of Skype for Windows – 720p HD video calling (up to 1280 x 720 pixels) with supported clients – Full HD video recording (up to 1920 x 1080 pixels) – H.264 video compression – Built-in dual st...

I almost hesitate to even bring this article to life because it’s the kind of thing that internet trolls, with their vitriol of insults, love to flock to. However, I feel like MICROSOFT deserves some praise for what it’s done with Windows 10. At the current rate, 10 might be the best OS to ever happen to the ultra-enthusiasts market since ever! I’m not trying to say Windows 10 is perfect, but from a builder’s perspective who likes fancy hardware configurations, I have a good reason to say MICROSOFT is doing a darn good job. I always have and always will love Crossfire/SLI setups. When I found out I had the chance to merely add a second GPU to my first build, I was ecstatic to try it and quickly fell in love with it. Since then, I’ve always opted to buy two lower end GPUs over one high end one. I work through the bugs I face and can’t get over how nice two strong GPUs look next to each other in my build. This is just the tip of the iceberg for a patch release that had the most minor bug fix description imaginable. In the patch before this last one, the release notes had a tiny phrase that mentioned video display fixes. What is minor in text was huge for me because now, my system no longer hangs when using Crossfire, FreeSync, AND dual displays. My secondary display is a standard 60 Hz panel paired with my adaptive sync one! I even further complicate the matter by having dual SSDs, one for the OS and the other for games and back ups. I k...

If you follow me, you might have heard me say that LEDs make your computer go faster. That’s because it’s a hard cold fact, as long as nobody tries to actually test it or anything. Regardless, I’m huge fan of RGB lighting and seeing it added to with the NZXT Aer fans is pretty fantastic. First off, I love the design on their RGB ring for the Aer. It’s unique in it’s shape, but also looks like it will have a great glow around the entire shroud. The other bonus is the fact that the Aer can be controlled by the Hue+. While a hardware control can be nice sometimes, it also means having access to knobs or buttons that you can access on the outside of your case. The Hue+ allows software access to the lighting, making control a bit easier on top of giving more control options. Check out the full press release below and get excited for more glorious lighting in our PCs! Lighting is in the Aer NZXT launches Aer RGB, premium LED PWM fans Los Angeles, CA – September 13th, 2016 – NZXT proudly announces today the Aer RGB line of LED PWM fans combining premium illumination options with efficient cooling performance allowing users to build powerful and beautiful systems. Operated via HUE+ and fully customizable by using CAM software, Aer RGB fans are easy to install and operate while offering a wide range of lighting options. Furthermore, the fans can be conveniently daisy-chained and assigned to different groups, letting users set up custom illumination...

ASUSTOR Launches New AS6204RS and AS6204RD Rackmount Models Featuring Intel Braswell Quad-Core Processors ASUSTOR launches new AS6204RS/AS6204RD rackmount NAS models powered by Intel Braswell quad-core processors and 4 GB SO-DIMM DDR3L memories. These models are equipped with stable performance and a rich variety of functionality such as comprehensive backup and storage services, seamless integration with virtual environments and simplified management for network administrators, creating an optimal enterprise storage solution. Taipei, Taiwan, September 13th, 2016 – ASUSTOR Inc., a leading innovator and provider of network storage solutions, has announced the launch of 2 brand new rackmount NAS models powered by Intel Braswell processors. These 2 new models are the single power supply AS6204RS and dual power supply AS6204RD. Both come with powerful core specifications and a rich variety of expansion interfaces allowing for unparalleled agility and seamless integration in demanding enterprise environments. The 4 high speed Ethernet ports also allow businesses to flexibly deploy network traffic providing stable access performance. Furthermore, the AS6204RS and AS6204RD have passed stringent hard disk compatibility testing, and support the largest hard disks on the market (10TB), allowing businesses to create 40TB high capacity storage spaces. The AS6204 and AS6204RD come built-in with the ADM operating system, which features a simplified graphical user interface that feels ...

ENERMAX Launches the D.F.VEGAS Series with Self-cleaning Function September 13, 2016, Taoyuan, Taiwan – ENERMAX announces the extension of the D.F. series by adding two LED fans, D.F.VEGAS and D.F.VEGAS DUO. The D.F.VEGAS is a single blue color LED fan; the D.F.VEGAS DUO comes with 2-color LED (red and green). Both D.F. LED fans featuring the latest Dust Free Rotation technology can provide not only incredible lighting effects but also self-cleaning solution. Patented Dust Free Rotation (DFRTM) Technology for Self-cleaning The innovative DFRTM technology makes the fan to spin in reverse at the highest RPM set by the user for 10 seconds upon startup before it resumes to the normal operation. The DFR technology offers a smart self-cleaning solution to prolong the product lifetime and reduces the dust on radiator that gradually build-up throughout the time. Patented Adjusted Peak Speed (APS) Design Provides 3 RPM Ranges D.F.VEGAS and D.F.VEGAS DUO are also built with ENERMAX’s patented APS design, which enables users to individually widen or limit the fan’s RPM range according to the system configuration and requirements. The fans offer three different speed modes to provide the optimal cooling performance: Ultra Silent Mode, Silent Mode, and Performance Mode. Within the selected RPM range, the fans are controlled by pulse width modulation (PWM). This intelligent design gives users great flexibility in selecting the preferred fan speed to reach the balance between cooli...

Sure, many people are waiting for the Zen release, but it's hard to ignore how great the value is with the AMD FX-6350. The included Wraith CPU cooler performs extremely well for a stock cooler, and the 6 cores of the chip help make up for single thread deficit. Once again, excellent price!

Introduction NVMe SSDs are the enthusiast topic of interest right now. The storage industry has become affordable in the SSD market, but is trending towards NVMe as a replacement. This is faster and can reach GB/s rather than MB/s. It does this by bypassing the ACHI protocol and pushes the boundaries of what basic SSDs can’t. I will be looking at a Zotac implementation of NVMe using an HHHL PCIe card at 480GB. This is Zotac’s first consumer NVMe drive, and claims speeds of up to 2600 MB/s over PCIe gen 3. Let’s see if this drive can push the limit of NVMe and stand out among its competitors. The specifications are as follows: Form Factor PCIE Add-in-Card Interface NVME 1.2 PCIE Gen 3 x 4 Flash Type MLC DRAM Cache 512MB DDR3 Capacity 480GB Sequential Read Up to 2,600 MB/s Sequential Write Up to 1,300 MB/s Random Read Random Write Power Consumption Read: 5.57W Write: 7.27W Idle: 0.5W Thickness Supported OS Windows, Mac OS, Linux MTBF (hours) 2,000,000 Accessories Bundled low-profile bracket

Introduction USB storage is one of those somewhat mundane things that we use all the time without giving it much thought: Backups, sneaker-net transfers, boot devices for installing new OS’s, transportable cinema, you name it. Chances are, you have a number of these devices scattered about your desk, home or office. In all honesty, these devices have utterly revolutionized portable storage, replacing Floppy Disks of all types, Zip Drives, write-able CD’s and in many cases write-able DVD’s and Blu-Ray disks. While USB 1 and USB 2 versions of these devices may have wowed us for a brief instant in time, it wasn’t until the advent of USB 3 that external USB Storage came into its own. The theoretical transfer rates of USB 3 (5 Gb/s or 640 MB/s) coupled to NAND flash with its high read and write speeds make USB external storage as fast or faster than most spinning disks and some internal SSDs and the small size of these devices coupled with their low power requirements make them astonishingly capable. Booting from a floppy or CD/DVD is pretty painful. Booting from a USB 3 thumb drive is (in some cases) all but indistinguishable from booting from an internal HDD or SSD. So, it’s with a certain amount of excitement that I find myself in possession of not one, but two cool storage devices from EMTEC. The first is a 256 GB USB 3.0 Flash drive packaged in the traditional “Thumb Drive” format. The second is a 256 GB USB 3.0 Portable SSD. Yes, ...